After reading The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro, I immediately purchased a Kindle copy of her book The Muralist, and read it on my Kindle Fire. I have a feeling that this book, The Muralist , is one of the best books I have read this year. The story is about art, especially art during World War II, when painters like Pollock, Krasner, and Rothko evolved a new form of art altogether, which is termed Abstract Expressionism. For those of you who are familiar with this very famous form of artistic expression, this is certainly a book you should pick up and read. Those of you, who are also fans of art or artists, should definitely read this soul searching book, which is itself a work of art. B.A. Shapiro has merged the tale of the evolving of Abstract Expressionism, with the tale of Alizée Benoit, whose family is stuck in France due to problem of getting visas to America. They want to flee France, their homeland, because they are Jews, and believe that Hitler will take over France. The family of Alizée Benoit, flees France with a impressive number of other Jewish refugees, most of them innocent children, on the ship SS St. Louis, to Cuba and from there to the USA. However, once the ship reaches the shores of America, they are not allowed to dock, and are literally and metaphorically turned back to Europe, to their death, or as Alfred Lord Tennyson would put it, into the Valley of Death. This happened, because the US President and his Assistant Secretary of State Long, felt that that their applications for visas were not acceptable. They did not wish to take on the responsibility of housing refugees, especially Jewish refugees, for they wanted no part of the war in Europe, they did not trust the refugees, and lastly, they were most concerned that these refugees would take up all the jobs in the US, which rightfully belonged to the American citizens. (Now, where have I heard that before???) The story, which is gripping and intense, gives us a glimpse of the USA of the late 1930s and early 1940s, as well as the story of Danielle in 2015, who is trying ways and means to find out what happened to her family, the Benoit’s, during World War II, and how Alizée Benoit had a major role to play in Abstract Expressionism of the ‘30s and ’40s. The novel is racy but a tearjerker in parts. The characters are more than real, and the plot is tight with no loop holes. The Muralist by B. A. Shapiro, speaks to the readers soul, and shows us that at times, we are, or find ourselves, so helpless to save our loved ones, that even something as small as a painting or a mural is used to tell the deaf, mute, and blind world, about pain, grief, and death — meaningless death. Alizée, is a very strong character in this novel, and for those readers who love strong female characters in their books, this is the book for you. I am an Indian, born in the late ‘80s, so I am technically not so familiar with contemporary World War II and American History, and the heroes and villains of this part of history. Nevertheless, B. A. Shapiro explanation in the form of a fiction novel is so easy to comprehend, that I began to appreciate many people I came across in this book, especially people like Varian Fry and Eleanor Roosevelt. You must read this book as soul tonic. Watch out for Shapiro’s depiction of Eleanor Roosevelt, as you are definitely going to love it. It goes without saying, that if you as a reader are interested in a different and unique novel, which is part non-fiction, set in the time of World War II, then this is a book you should read. For those of you who have been and are being persecuted for your beliefs, beliefs which do not harm anyone, then this book is soul curry for you, to know that you are not alone. The Muralist is evocative and mesmerizing. The book poses a lot of questions to us, questions that are uncomfortable and need to be answered, questions about morals and ethics versus politics and selfishness. One question cut me to the core: Do innocent refugee children, who have come to seek shelter in your country, look like political spies to you? I had to cry, because I am proud of my country, India, who is definitely like a Mother, for she accepts everyone who comes to her for help. There is a saying in India, that you will find a duplicate of everything, except a duplicate of Mother India. We have given shelter over the ages, and over centuries, to Jews, Christians, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, etc., and now they are as much a part of India, as the original Harappan people were. I am proud of my country — Are you? All these questions can be answered in The Muralist, through its characters, and history and art behind its evolution into a work of perfection. Though I have read a number of books, both fiction and non-fiction, about the Holocaust and World War II, this was the only one to bring a lump to my throat, as it dealt with something that is part of the horrible present. Alizée, Henri, Danielle, Babette, and others, come alive to you through the pen of the master literary artist B. A. Shapiro. It questions, it entertains, and it paints — most importantly, it paints. A must read for everyone, but especially for those writers, artists, poets, journalists, etc., who are being persecuted for expressing their right – their right to freedom of expression. I loved this book. Buy it. NOW!

Meg Sanders and Annie Ashworth are the writing duo of this book which I have recently read. The first thing that made me grab the book, and place it in my library cloth bag, was definitely the title, Busy Woman Seeks Wife! As I read the synopsis and the reviews of the book, I was already immersed in the lives of Alex, The Bean, Frankie, Saff, Ella, and the rest of the wonderful cast of characters which makes this chick lit book, perfect reading material. If anyone wants a light but funny read, and is going on a vacation, this book should be a great reading companion either when you are on the beach sunbathing or in a hammock whiling away your time. It is a relaxing read, which can be finished in no time at all. In spite of my busy schedule I still finished it in three days. This is because of the wonderful way the chapters are spaced out in the story. This book is more like Katie FForde’s books than Marion Keyes, but with the character ‘The Bean’ in this book, laughter and smiles galore will come your way. For all those girls who are independent, and those working in offices, this is a light read for you, but still in a way, an enlightening read. For stay at home mothers this book is something that you should read, to see the world through the eyes of both, a working independent woman, and a home bound wife. The character of Frankie is something that I have not seen in most chick lit books that I have read over the years, and you should read about him, as he is just amazing and a nonconventional hero. I know I have said this before, but I repeat, please – please – please do not miss ‘The Bean’ — she is superb and yet can make you emotional at certain parts of the story. As for me, the story of the workaholic Alex, who is looking for someone who could do housework, laundry, and shopping for her, is something which even I seek for, more than a husband, which shows how our society and how the gender spectrum is changing, not only in the real world, but in chick lit as well. For you to know how Alex manages to find her ‘wife’ and how a man she doesn’t know from Adams, starts doing her dirty laundry, you’ll have to read the book. There is a bit of a mystery too in the book, which is fun to solve. Enjoy yourself, in a good, neatly edited, and funny chick lit book. Great job Annie and Sanders, for a book, well written and very enjoyable.

I have been wanting to read this book in a long while. I managed to do so last week, and I finished it in the early hours of September 7. R. Raj Rao is a blessing for readers who love cynicism and wry humour in their LGBTQ literature. I had a fun time with a lot of laughs reading this book, which describes the love story of a middle-aged Yudi and his young lover Milind. The book is easy to read, and flows beautifully into the reader’s system just like an R. K. Narayan novel, only a bit bolder. If you want to get a closer look at the Gay scene in Mumbai, during the 1990’s, and how difficult it was to pick up lovers for quick sex at that point of time, this book is a tongue-in-cheek revelation into that area of study. If you want to read a well written Indian LGBTQ book, then this is the one for you, and believe me you will have a lot of laughs as you turn from page to page. However, don’t be fooled by the brash and unashamed humour of the author, because The Boyfriend also speaks about the pulse of Mumbai through the eyes of a Gay man, a very novel way to look at Mumbai in the early 1990’s. There is mention here of the 1992-93 riots for those readers who wish to know how Gay life was affected during those horrible months of murder, carnage, and destruction. R. Raj Rao style of writing equals, if not surpasses, the likes of the best Indian narrative writers of the late 1990’s and early 2000. Once you are done with this book, you will definitely want to read more books penned by the author. It is a guaranteed addiction. Unfortunately, R. Raj Rao has only written two more novels after The Boyfriend — Hostel Room 131 and Lady Lolita’s Lover. I have already read Hostel Room 131 which is funnier and yet informative about the LGBTQ scene in the 70’s and 80’s. If you as a reader are up for a mellowed down Mumbai, erstwhile Bombay, city adventure, then this is the book for you. The plot is unique, the narrative exemplary yet written in simple language, and the characters in the story are few, but well developed. The line or border line between pathos and humour is so thin in this novel, that if it were not for the author’s excellent sense of humour in his writings, this book would have deviated towards the pathos angle, making the story of Milind, Yudi, Gauri and Dnyaneshwar, a tragedy of sorts. Just get this book and read it. Then buy the other two novels of R. Raj Rao and read them. You will be surprised by the way you will sink into the books like quicksand. Happy Reading.

Just Henry by Michelle Magorian is a book that I have been coveting to read for a long time. I managed to get my hands on it and read it a few weeks back. It is a 702-page-book, with a lot of action, drama and suspense. It tells the story of a fifteen-year-old boy, Henry Dodge, and how he handles challenges in his life in the backdrop of 1949 London, just after World War II. This book covers the early black and white films of the last century and how children like Henry who lived in post war England, used to find solace from the anxieties of their life, at Picture Palaces, watching these movies. If you like films and the cinema, this is the book you should be reading. It may be 702 pages long, but for a person who loves cameras, films, and especially the early black and white movies, this book will be a real treat. This book is meant for preteens, young adults, as well as adults, who want a new way of looking at post -World War England, through the life and times of a boy growing up there. The mention of the names of these old but golden, black and white movies, will bring back sweet memories to readers who have watched them. I would also like to mention how powerful Magorian’s story telling skills are, as she effortlessly weaves in drama, emotion and adventure into the book like a wonderful seamstress, with a theme not many young adult writers are willing to work on. I admire the way topics like bigamy, illegitimacy, broken homes, divorce, etc., are handled skilfully by a master writer. The characters are larger than life, something like the grand movies they watch almost every week, if not every day! The arrival of modern day jazz and the bebop scene is also recorded here in Just Henry, with the subplot of the character Grace, who can neither read nor write, but who can sing in ‘alto’ and creates a small revolution among her friends and the girls of her age group who were taught that girls can only sing in ‘soprano’ and can’t sing low. Other memorable characters like Mrs. Beaumont, Jefferies, Pip, Mrs. Carpenter, Daniel, Mr. Dodge, Mr. Finch, etc., make the story come alive, and makes the fiction book so gloriously real, that at times emotions seize you with a tight grip as you read the hard-hitting and excellent dialogues. A great read for readers of all ages by the award-winning author Michelle Magorian. Just Henry is ‘Just Superb’.

Fiza Pathan Publishing OPC Private Limited is proud to announce that CLASSICS: Why and how we can encourage children to read them has won the Gold Medal in the 2017 Literary Classics Book Awards. (Genre/Category: College – INSTRUCTIONAL / GUIDE BOOKS). The Press Release from CLC Awards is given below. Congratulations to all the winners.

NEWS

Literary Classics Announces Youth Media Book Award Recipients

Release Date: July 1, 2017

Literary Classics

pr@clcawards.org

SOUTH DAKOTA – The 2017 Literary Classics International Book Award recipients have been announced. Selected from submissions by entrants around the globe, these distinguished honorees are recognized for their contributions to the craft of writing, illustrating, and publishing exceptional literature for a youth audience. In this highly competitive industry these books represent the foremost in literature in their respective categories.

The competition this year was tremendous and we congratulate all honorees for their outstanding and inspiring work. All Silver, Gold and Top Honors award recipients will be invited to attend a writers’ conference, awards ceremony, formal gala, and other related events in Rapid City, South Dakota, to be held in conjunction with the Great American Book Festival, Labor Day Weekend, 2017.

The Literary Classics selection committee is proud to recognize this year’s titles in literature which exemplify the criteria set forth by the Literary Classics selection committee.

2017 LITERARY CLASSICS TOP HONORS BOOK AWARDS

The Enchanted Page

The Green Children

written by Kenny Chumbley & Jim McGuiggan

illustrated by Nadya Ruvinsky

Prairie Papers

The Eloquent Quill

Lucy in her Secret Wood

(A story inspired by Wordsworth’s wild child Lucy Gray)

Christina Pagés

Waldorf Publishing

Words on Wings

Beauty & the Beast

Rebecca Hammond Yager

Poisoned Plume

Lumen Award for Literary Excellence

Walter’s Way:

How a Relief Kid Survived TB, Corporate Betrayal, Bankruptcy, Made Millions, and Touched the Lives of Billions

Walter Scherr, John Hanc & Deborah Chiel

Wiley

YOUNG AUTHOR AWARD

GOLD

All Sleep

AC Moyer

Aurelia Press

SILVER

If You Wish

Cassandra Briskman

Waterside Productions

BEST IN CATEGORY – GOLD

BEST ILLUSTRATOR – GOLD

Drummer Girl

Hiba Masood

Daybreak Press

BEST COVER DESIGN – GOLD

Jumpin’ the Rails!

Sheila Slavich

Xlibris

BEST HOLIDAY BOOK – GOLD

Max’s Christmas Adventure

​Wendy Leighton-Porter

Mauve Square Publishing

BEST FIRST BOOK – GOLD

A Casualty of Power

Mukuka Chipanta

Weaver Press

BEST SERIES – YOUNG READER – GOLD

Pack-n-Go Girls Adventure Series

​Janelle Diller & Lisa Travis

WorldTrek Publishing

BEST SERIES – MIDDLE GRADE – GOLD

Shadows from the Past series

​Wendy Leighton-Porter

Mauve Square Publishing

BEST SERIES – HIGH SCHOOL – GOLD

The Hidden City of Chelldrah-ham series

Stephan von Clinkerhoffen

Createspace

BEST SERIES – YOUNG ADULT – GOLD

The Call to Search Everywhen series

Chess Desalls

Czidor Lore, LLC

INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS

GOLD

PRESCHOOL / EARLY READER

PICTURE BOOK – GOLD

The Secret Adventures of Anonymouse

Natalie Rekstad & Sophie Lynn

Black Fox Philanthropy, LLC

EARLY READER PICTURE BOOK – GOLD

Nosey’s Wild Ride on the Belle of Louisville

Martha Driscoll

Driscoll Publishing

EDUCATIONAL BOOK – GOLD

Fifo 50 States

Hayley Rose

Flowered Press

GENERAL – GOLD

‘Iwalani’s Tree

Constance Hale

BeachHouse Publishing

CULTURAL – GOLD

Drummer Girl

Hiba Masood

Daybreak Press

FANTASY – GOLD

The Green Children

written by Kenny Chumbley

& Jim McGuiggan

Prairie Papers

GRADE SCHOOL / CHAPTER BOOK

EARLY CHAPTER BOOK – GOLD

Nickerbacher

Terry John Barto

TJB KIDS

CHAPTER BOOK – GOLD

Sir Princess Petra’s Mission

Diane Mae Robinson

Tate Publishing

FICTION – GOLD

Lucy in her Secret Wood

(A story inspired by Wordsworth’s wild child Lucy Gray)

Christina Pagés

Waldorf Publishing

FANTASY – GOLD

Thistle Downe

Molly & Gary Whitney

Bright Sky Press

GENERAL – GOLD

The Whizbang Machine

Danielle Vann

Waldorf Publishing

FICTION – GOLD

The Calling of the Protectors, The Legend of Chief

Louis DeGrado

IUniverse

MYSTERY / THRILLER – GOLD

DOTTY and the Chimney Thief

Emma Warner-Reed

Calendar House Press

FANTASY – GOLD

Motley Education

S.A. Larsen

Leap Books, LLC

PRETEEN

GENERAL – GOLD

The King of Average

Gary Schwartz

Bunny Moon Books

FICTION – GOLD

Guardian

Katy Newton Naas

Clean Reads

HISTORICAL FICTION – GOLD

A Family for Leona

Beverly Stowe McClure

4RV Publishing LLC

FANTASY – GOLD

Mystical Aria:Seeking the Gallion Queen

Jean Guthrie

Sojourn Publishing, LLC

MIDDLE SCHOOL

GENERAL – GOLD

The Hidden City of Chelldrah-ham: Stigs Flight

Stephan von Clinkerhoffen

Createspace

FICTION – GOLD

The King of Average

Gary Schwartz

Bunny Moon Books

HISTORICAL FICTION – GOLD

A Buss from Lafayette

Dorothea Jensen

BQB Publishing

SCIENCE FICTION / DYSTOPIAN – GOLD

Jumpin’ the Rails!

Sheila Slavich

Xlibris

FANTASY – GOLD

Faeborne

Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

Create Space

HIGH SCHOOL

FICTION – GOLD

Tupelo Honey

Lis Anna-Langston

Mapleton Publishers

HISTORICAL FICTION – GOLD

The Cruel Romance

Marina Osipova

iUniverse

ROMANCE – GOLD

Beauty & the Beast

Rebecca Hammond Yager

Poisoned Plume

MYSTERY / THRILLER – GOLD

Travel Glasses: The Call to Search Everywhen

Chess Desalls

Czidor Lore, LLC

SCIENCE FICTION / DYSTOPIAN – GOLD

Criminal

B. Hoyle

The Writer’s Coffee Shop

PARANORMAL / HORROR – GOLD

​Ophelia, Alive

Luke T. Harrington

Post Mortem Press

FANTASY – GOLD

Travel Glasses: The Call to Search Everywhen

Chess Desalls

Czidor Lore, LLC

NONFICTION – GOLD

​Walter’s Way::How a Relief Kid Survived TB, Corporate Betrayal,

Bankruptcy, Made Millions, and Touched the Lives of Billions

Walter Scherr, John Hanc & Deborah Chiel

Wiley

FAITH BASED – GOLD

Bombs Bursting in Air

Lisa McCombs

Headline Books

COLLEGE­

GENERAL – GOLD

A Casualty of Power

Mukuka Chipanta

Weaver Press

FICTION – GOLD

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

Shannon Kirk

Reputation Books

SCIENCE FICTION / DYSTOPIAN – GOLD

Criminal

B. Hoyle

The Writer’s Coffee Shop

FANTASY – GOLD

A Shift Toward Prey

Natalie Allison

Primedia E-launch LLC

MYSTERY / THRILLER – GOLD

Dust Eaters North

Ronan Cray

Abrasax Press

PARANORMAL / HORROR – GOLD

Dust Eaters North

Ronan Cray

Abrasax Press

ROMANCE – GOLD

The Cruel Romance

Marina Osipova

iUniverse

HISTORICAL FICTION – GOLD

The Sword of Telemon

Murray Eiland Jr

Amazon

MATURE ISSUES – GOLD

Hooked

Allen Wolf

Morning Star Publishing

INSTRUCTIONAL / GUIDE BOOKS – GOLD

CLASSICS: Why and how we can encourage children to read them

Fiza Pathan

Fiza Pathan Publishing

INSPIRATIONAL / VISIONARY – GOLD

​Walter’s Way:How a Relief Kid Survived TB, Corporate Betrayal,

Bankruptcy, Made Millions, and Touched the Lives of Billions

Walter Scherr, John Hanc & Deborah Chiel

Wiley

NONFICTION – GOLD

A Medieval Woman’s Companion

Susan Morrison

Oxbow Books

FAITH BASED – GOLD

Heaven Breaks In

Nicholas Cappas

Kingdom Press

SPECIAL INTEREST – GOLD

ALPHABET BOOK – GOLD

Grocery Store Alphabet Game

Teresa Stern

Sarah Book Publishing

COUNTING BOOK – GOLD

10 Little Monsters Visit New York City

Jess Smart Smiley

Familius

RHYMING BOOK – GOLD

In and Out, All ‘Round About – Opposite Friends

Penelope Anne Cole

Magical Book Works

HEALTH / SELF ESTEEM – PICTURE BOOK – GOLD

Roxie the Doxie Finds her Forever Home

​JODY A. DEAN, Ph.D.

Tally Ho Publishing

ENVIRONMENTAL PICTURE BOOK – GOLD

My Pancakes Taste Different Today

​Heather Wood Galpert

Wagon Wheel Productions

NONFICTION – GRADE SCHOOL – GOLD

Milk Bottles and Mud Pies

Cindy Farwell

Tate Publishing

FAITH BASED – GRADE SCHOOL – GOLD

Milk Bottles and Mud Pies

Cindy Farwell

Tate Publishing

HISTORICAL FICTION – MIDDLE GRADE – GOLD

Greg’s Second Adventure in Time

​C.M. Huddleston

Interpreting Time’s Past PRESS

SCIENCE FICTION – MIDDLE GRADE – GOLD

Black Lightning

​K.S. Jones

Mirror World Publishing

HEALTH / SELF ESTEEM – MIDDLE GRADE – GOLD

Coby Ryan Harris Is Officially Fat

​Joni Klein-Higger & Flora Zaken-Greenberg, Ph.D.

Guardian Angel Publishing

ENVIRONMENTAL – YA – GOLD

Birds of Dewey-Humboldt, Arizona

​Garry Rogers

Self Published

SELF HELP – YA – GOLD

5 Simple Questions to Reclaim Your Happiness!

​Jacqui Letran

A Healed Mind

BEST IN CATEGORY – SILVER

PICTURE BOOK – SILVER

Piccadilly and the Waltzing Wind

Lisa Anne Novelline

Self Published

EARLY READER PICTURE BOOK – SILVER

Corinne’s Fin

Dayle Dabney

Headline Books

EDUCATIONAL BOOK – SILVER

Sip Tea with Mad Hatter

Loretta Neff

Neff Publishing, LLC

GENERAL – SILVER

Little Katie Goes to the Moon

Carmela Dutra

Pegasus Pony

CULTURAL – SILVER

Hopping to America:

A Rabbit’s Tale of Immigration

Diana Walker

Headline Books

FANTASY – SILVER

Hey That’s MY Monster!

Amanda Noll

Flashlight Press

GRADE SCHOOL / CHAPTER BOOK

EARLY CHAPTER BOOK – SILVER

Dream Butterflies

PM Kelly

Bookbaby

CHAPTER BOOK – SILVER

Tales of Mr. Snuggywhiskers: The Spring Tales

CF Crawford

Lauco Press

FICTION – SILVER

Mary’s Song

Susan Count

Hastings Creations Group

FANTASY – SILVER

Magora The Gallery of Wonders

Marc Remus

Misty Moon Books / Marc Remus

PRETEEN

GENERAL – SILVER

The Whizbang MachineTunney’s Curse

Danielle Vann

Waldorf Publishing

FICTION – SILVER

No One Needed to Know

G. Driver

Amazon

MYSTERY / THRILLER – SILVER

Crime Cats, the Dusenbury Curse

Wolfgang Parker

Rogue Agent Publishing

FANTASY – SILVER

The Seasons of a Giant

Pamela Hartley

CreateSpace

PRETEEN

GENERAL – SILVER

Skinny White Freak

Paul Haddad

Independent

FICTION – SILVER

The Stone of Mercy, Book 1 of the Centaur Chronicles

M.J. Evans

Dancing Horse Press

HISTORICAL FICTION – SILVER

Jumpin’ the Rails!

Sheila Slavich

Xlibris

FANTASY – SILVER

The Seasons of a Giant

Pamela Hartley

CreateSpace

MIDDLE SCHOOL

GENERAL – SILVER

Secrets of the Home Wood: the Sacrifice

Julie Whitley

FriesenPress

FICTION – SILVER

The Other Side of the Law

Katelynn Renteria

Sarah Book Publishing

HISTORICAL FICTION – SILVER

Calamity Jane,

How the West Began

Bryan Ney

Dragon Tree Books

SCIENCE FICTION / DYSTOPIAN – SILVER

​​Glint

JD Harper

CreateSpace

FANTASY – SILVER

The Tower Below

J.R. Roper

CHBB Publishing

HIGH SCHOOL

FICTION – SILVER

A Secret Music

Susan Doherty Hannaford

Cormorant Books

HISTORICAL FICTION – SILVER

The Sword of Telemon

Murray Eiland Jr Amazon

ROMANCE – SILVER

The Slope Rules

Melanie Hooyenga

CreateSpace

MYSTERY / THRILLER – SILVER

​Ophelia, Alive

Luke T. Harrington

Post Mortem Press

SCIENCE FICTION / DYSTOPIAN – SILVER

I Will Breathe

Regina Puckett

Punk & Sissy Publications

PARANORMAL / HORROR – SILVER

Dark Flowers

Caytlyn Brooke

BHC Press imprint H20

FANTASY – SILVER

Ephemeral and Fleeting

Patricia Reding

Scripta Manent Publishing

NONFICTION – SILVER

Unbroken Spirits

Kay Beth Avery

Western Reflections Publishing

FAITH BASED – SILVER

Heaven Breaks In

Nicholas Cappas

Kingdom Press

COLLEGE

GENERAL – SILVER

The Extraordinary Journey of Vivienne Marshall

Shannon Kirk

Reputation Books

FICTION – SILVER

Once Confronted

Lynne Stringer

Rhiza Press

SCIENCE FICTION / DYSTOPIAN – SILVER

Quantum Lace

Leigh St John

Self-Published

FANTASY – SILVER

Ephemeral and Fleeting

Patricia Reding

Scripta Manent Publishing

MYSTERY / THRILLER – SILVER

Eye of Charybdis

Steve Wilson

White Feather Press

PARANORMAL / HORROR – SILVER

​Ophelia, Alive

Luke T. Harrington

Post Mortem Press

ROMANCE – SILVER

Hooked

Allen Wolf

Morning Star Publishing

HISTORICAL FICTION – SILVER

The Cruel Romance

Marina Osipova

iUniverse

MATURE ISSUES – SILVER

Shattered Lies

SJ Francis

Black Opal Books

INSTRUCTIONAL / GUIDE BOOKS – SILVER

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions

Scott M. Graffius

CreateSpace

INSPIRATIONAL / VISIONARY – SILVER

You Are What You Tweet: Harness the Power of Twitter to Create a Happier, Healthier Life

Germany Kent

Star Stone Press

NONFICTION – SILVER

Terror in Ypsilanti:

John Norman Collins Unmasked

Gregory A. Fournier

FAITH BASED – SILVER

The Gospel According To Ruth: A Season of Harvest 121 Days of Devotions

Kevin Foster

Carpenter’s Son

Literary Classics, an organization dedicated to furthering excellence in literature, takes great pride in its role to help promote classic literature which appeals to youth, while educating and encouraging positive values in the impressionable young minds of future generations. Judging is based upon the criteria set forth by Literary Classics’ highly selective awards committee which honors books promoting character, vision, creativity and learning, through content which possesses key elements found in well-crafted literature.

The Literary Classics judging committee is comprised of experts with backgrounds in publishing, writing, editing, design, illustration, and book reviewing. To learn more about Literary Classics, visit their website at http://www.literaryclassicsawards.com.

LITERARY CLASSICS Book Awards & Reviews International Book Awards • Top Honors Youth Book Awards • Seal of Approval http://www.clcawards.org

Fiza Pathan Publishing OPC Private Limited and Fiza Pathan are proud to announce that CLASSICS: Why and how we can encourage children to read them has been named a FINALIST in the 2017 Literary Classics Book Awards. The final awards will be announced on July 1, 2017. The Press Release from CLC Awards is given below. Congratulations to all authors who made the FINALIST list.

NEWS

Release Date: June 15, 2017

Literary Classics

pr@clcawards.org

Literary Classics Announces Youth Media Top Book Award Finalists

Rapid City, SD – The annual tradition continues with the arrival of one of the most anticipated moments in the world of children’s and young adult literature. The 2017 Literary Classics Book Award Finalists and Top Honors Book Awards Finalists have been announced. Selected from submissions by entrants around the globe, these distinguished honorees are recognized for their contributions to the craft of writing, illustrating, and publishing exceptional literature for a youth audience. In this highly competitive industry these books represent the foremost in literature in their respective categories.

​

The competition this year was tremendous, and we congratulate all of the finalists for their outstanding and inspiring work. Final awards, categories and levels will be announced on July 1, 2017. All Silver, Gold and Top Honors award recipients will be invited to attend a writers’ conference, awards ceremony, formal gala, and authors’ book signing to be held in conjunction with the Great American Book Festival, Labor Day Weekend, 2017.

​

The Literary Classics selection committee is proud to recognize this year’s titles in literature which exemplify the criteria set forth by the Literary Classics award selection committee.

Natalie Allison A Shift Toward Prey Primedia E-launch LLC

Lis Anna-Langston Tupelo Honey Mapleton Publishers

Kay Beth Avery Unbroken Spirits Western Reflections Publishing

Terry John Barto Nickerbacher TJB KIDS

Cassandra Briskman If You Wish Waterside Productions

Caytlyn Brooke Dark Flowers BHC Press imprint H20

Nicholas Cappas Heaven Breaks In Kingdom Press

Mukuka Chipanta A Casualty of Power Weaver Press

Penelope Anne Cole In and Out, All ‘Round About – Opposite Friends Magical Book Works

npr.org - Your purchase helps support NPR programming. How? Renée Watson's young adult novel Piecing Me Together tells the story of Jade, a Portland, Ore., high school student with "coal skin and hula-hoop hip…Tweeted by @nprbooks https://twitter.com/nprbooks/status/964849684001955840

npr.org - Your purchase helps support NPR programming. How? Akwaeke Emezi's debut novel, Freshwater, is the lyrical, nonlinear story of a woman named Ada, born in Nigeria with, as she puts it, "one foot on the…Tweeted by @nprbooks https://twitter.com/nprbooks/status/964849678830387200

npr.org - Your purchase helps support NPR programming. How? Sometimes you want a book that deals with the big things — love and death and meaning and worth. Sometimes you want stakes that are as high as saving…Tweeted by @nprbooks https://twitter.com/nprbooks/status/964833334332243969

npr.org - NPR's Michel Martin talks with prolific detective novelist Walter Mosley about his book, Down The River Unto The Sea, which takes on real world issues of policing, activism and criminal justice.Tweeted by @nprbooks https://twitter.com/nprbooks/status/964990750088880129

bbc.co.uk - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has dismissed as "blather" the charges levelled by FBI special counsel against 13 Russians for election meddling. Speaking at a major security conference in Ger…Tweeted by @BBCBreaking https://twitter.com/BBCBreaking/status/964837982103580672

cbc.ca - A fire on an Air Canada Express plane forced an emergency landing at the Saskatoon airport on Saturday. Teri Udle with Jazz Aviation said in a statement that shortly after takeoff from Saskatoon at a…Tweeted by @CBCCalgary https://twitter.com/CBCCalgary/status/965004468961140737

nytimes.com - It’s not clear that access to mental health care would have prevented violence. Elliot O. Rodger saw several therapists before he killed six people in Isla Vista, Calif., in May 2014. His therapists …Tweeted by @nytimes https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/964937522378870785

nytimes.com - But beyond works of academic history and the terms of public debate, there are stories. Thousands of families in Poland, the United States, Israel and elsewhere have stories like that of my aunt Rose…Tweeted by @nytimes https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/964966449436659712

usatoday.com - Several dozen students from South Broward High School took a public stand against gun violence Friday and for gun control. (Feb. 16) AP Students wait outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in P…Tweeted by @USATODAY https://twitter.com/USATODAY/status/964957640517406724

nytimes.com - “This kid exhibited every single known red flag, from cutting animals to having a cache of weapons to disruptive behavior to saying he wanted to be a school shooter,” Mr. Finkelstein said. “If this i…Tweeted by @nytimes https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/964984810275033088